AUTOS

Chrysler Plans Joint Venture in Vietnam: The auto maker, seeking to expand into new markets, said it hopes to build Jeeps, trucks and other vehicles in the country. The deal, expected to be formalized in a few months, would make Chrysler Corp. the first U.S. car maker to establish assembly operations in Vietnam, a relatively poor country with unknown potential. Chrysler officials said the company will probably start out with exports from North America, followed by assembly of import kits and eventually a full-fledged manufacturing operation. Earlier this month, Ford Motor Co. announced plans to open showrooms and service facilities in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon).